Federation of Russian Martial Art
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Russian Native System of Self-Defense (ROSS)
American Annex to the Russian Federation of Russian Martial Art
FRBI ROSS
Russian Martial Art - ROSS  
 
A Few Elementary Skills from the ROSS Training System
Methods of falling, rolling, and tumbling
Forward Roll Before learning to stand, learn to fall.

The ability to fall without breaking anything is necessary if you take into consideration slippery conditions.

And in many cases, the ability to roll when hitting the ground can transform the force of a throw from an opponent into an effective weapon against it.
Side Ground Engagement
Falling Principles
- When hitting the ground, don't fight against it with your body, but rotate with it;
- Try to distribute the force of hitting the ground to the largest areas of contact on the body, reducing its energy of deformation — contact should occur only on soft tissues of the body;
- Relax to reduce the speed of falling;
- Always work as from the pelvis, all movements should be from the pelvis;
- Change your trajectory to the ground by moving around an axis of rotation (the spine, the shoulders, etc.); 
- Upon contact with the ground, exhale. 
 
Backwards Roll
The Purpose of Falling
- The preservation and safety of an individual from strong and sharp contact with the ground, the floor etc.;
- The mobile retreat from strikes, from a beam of light, or from a shot. It is usually accompanied by sharply falling downwards with a subsequent retreat to the side using a variety of tumbling exercises; and 
- The preparation for sharp and long jumps in various directions with a soft landing on the ground, on an opponent, on a car etc. 
 
Defense by Forearm Rotation
Method I Method I Against a Kick This method is effective against direct strikes to the groin or to the stomach with a hand or a foot. In the second drawing, it is visible that the force vector is directed toward you in a vertical plane a little downwards. 
Releasing a One-Handed Grab with One Hand
Method III Release An opponent can grab you for a hand, for a wrist, for an elbow, for a shoulder, or for the neck. The mechanics of carrying out of the reception in all three cases is identical, therefore we will consider capture cases for a wrist when the opponent has grabbed your left hand with the right hand.

We relax. We start to rotate (all force — from the pelvis) the forearm clockwise, and when your elbow is brought over the forearm of the opponent, take a step with the left foot use a coupling of forces: first, the elbow downward on a forearm of the opponent, second — the wrist upwards from itself from capture. Exhale. Then we counter: continue the movement of the forearm and strike into the throat, or continuing twisting, lower the left hand downwards outside of the right hand of the opponent and complete a take down. 
Defense by Forearm Rotation
Method III Defense from Strike This method of defense is applied against strikes to the head. The usual instinctive movement is evasion by a head and throwing a hand upwards. We will consider on an example of a lateral strike by the right fist to the head. The force vector goes on in a circle from left to right in a plane parallel to the ground.

We relax. We lean the head back and to the right and lift the left elbow. We start to rotate clockwise at the pelvis, and the outer side of the left forearm meets the attacking arm on a plane from below. Then we continue the hand of the opponent on a force vector from left to right by rotating the forearm around the forearm of the opponent in a clockwise motion, where there is an axis of rotation axis — the forearm of the opponent. Being tightened at the rotation of the pelvis, we continue the strike to the right downwards. Your forearm is thus brought in a rotation at the left elbow over the forearm of the opponent. Using the elbow and the forearm as a lever, we twist the elbow downwards, or we beat on on the elbow joint of the opponent, or we continue twisting the elbow downwards and we continue the hand of the opponent, lowering ourselves and directing the strike to the right downwards (as though "grounding" it), i.e. continuing a force vector and decomposing the opponent. We exhale. In the final position of the hand in the top framework, we control the forearms and hands of the opponent from the outer side and counter. 
Defense Against a Lateral Staff Strike by Hand and Shoulder Rotation
Method I Defense against a Staff When working with a staff, remember that the greatest kinetic energy is at its free end. 
Proceeding from this, we will consider three kinds of defense: 
- If you are closer to the staff's beginning, step forward to the hand of the opponent in «a dead zone» strike; 
- If you are at the staff's end, step away or lean away from the strike;  and
- When you are at the staff's middle, we will consider in detail below. 

The strike goes from left to right and the force vector is directed toward you at belt level, at a shoulder, or at the head in a plane parallel to the ground. Relax. Your instinctive movement in combat will be step back and to the right to avoid the staff, and your hand will reflexively move to the staff with the intention of connecting with it. Let's follow that instinct! We will take a defensive stance: step back and to the right in a circle in the direction of the  force vector. Simultaneously the outer side of the right palm will meet the staff. We follow it along the plane of the strike by a back and forth motion of the right hand to the right on a tangent to the back surface of the right shoulder. The entire time, the hand is pressed to the body, and the shoulder is twisted counter-clockwise. Thus, the scenario is twisted counter-clockwise, and we lower our weight under the blow to the left, transferring body weight to the left foot, then unloading it and lifting the right foot on its tows. The head is lowered downwards under the right shoulder. Exhale. Further, we continue rotating the shoulders. The wave of rotation of the right hand passes on to the left and transfers the point of contact of a staff with a body to the left shoulder. The shoulders converge as much as possible and the head is lowered downwards. Exhale. 
© 2009 American Annex to the Russian Federation of Russian Martial Art
For more information, please contact Scott Fabel